LOGITECH Z-560: "Love Thy Neighbor"? Naaaaah!
Written: May 03 '02 (Updated Jul 11 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Neighbor-shaking bass, bullet-proof value quotient, excellent build and overall sound quality. THX-certified.
Cons: Bass sometimes boomy, highs sometimes overpower mids, no treble control, sensitive knobs.
The Bottom Line: Guys, this system rocks. Even though price is one of its greatest strengths, I'd buy this system over more expensive 4.1 systems based on performance alone. It's that good.
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| vara's Full Review: Logitech Z-560 4 Speakers |
For all of you altruists and philanthropists who would do unto others as you would do yourself, I have some advice for you: do not buy these speakers, as civil disturbance goes contrary to The Golden Rule. For the rest of you (all riiiiiiight!), I suggest you read this tale of absolute awe, reverence, and sonic vibration!
Before I start: if you want all the technical data for these speakers, you can get it ad nauseam at http://www.3dsoundsurge.com/reviews/Z560/index.html I'll just provide the basics here... this review will be long enough as it is!
I'll admit it: it seems like the old adage "a fool and his money are soon parted" was personally tailored for me: as a student, I don't have much money to go around. But show me one convincing infomercial or a bunch of positive online reviews and I'm hooked. I wasn't even looking for a set of speakers until I happened across a review of the Logitech Z-560 Sound System. It was so glowing in its praise that I decided to check out another review. And another. And another. All of them were heaping praise on these speakers (you can read some excerpts I posted below if you want proof). Needless to say, I wanted these speakers. Bad. Now that I own them, I am acutely aware that I have neighbors... and I'm sure they're acutely aware of me, too!
THE NUMBERS GAME:
For all of you guys who have seen those $50 speakers promising 1,000,000 watts of power, realize that you're not hearing the whole picture. Those ratings are PMPO, which essentially describes power that can be given for only short bursts. As for the Logitech Z-560s, they are THX-certified, and produce 400W total RMS output (53W from each satellite, plus 188W subwoofer). That's continuous output, which is a much more reliable rating. Still, Logitech is kind of pulling the wool over our eyes, because many expert reviewers have taken these speakers apart, only to see a sticker on the back of the satellite drivers that reads "15W" for the power rating. The subwoofer's sticker reads "100W" only. I don't know where Logitech gets this 400W number, and if anyone knows, please tell me. Actually, I don't care about it all that much as long as these speakers sound great... which I'll get into later!
WHERE TO BUY:
Let's get right to it, then! These speakers retail for $199, which I still think is a steal. Of course, it doesn't hurt to find these speakers for even cheaper, does it? Thanks to Epinions.com, I found an online retailer selling these babies for a very low price. In fact, there's still lots of stores selling these speakers for much less than retail. Check out the stores listed below.
Still need more convincing? Read on...
OUT OF THE BOX:
When these speakers first came in the mail, I was shocked. The box was huge! Heavy, too, but after only one hernia, I managed to carry it to my apartment. Everything inside is nicely laid out, and very easy to connect. Speaker wire is fortunately not committed to the speakers and can be extended with speaker wire you buy at the store, if need be. The front speakers have wire of six feet in length, and the rear speakers have wires of 15 feet. The manual is *tiny*, but then again, you don't really need much to do much reading. This is a pretty simple setup. The only thing that might cause some confusion is the two-pronged stereo connectors that plug in to your soundcard. I'll explain it, then: if you have a 2-channel sound card, then you need just plug in one of the stereo jacks and use the "M3D" feature to activate the rear speakers (more on that later). A four channel sound card allows for both to plugged in so that front and rear channels can function independently, without a need for the M3D feature.
Build quality: I know that $140 is a hefty sum of money, but even for that I was not expecting to see such good build quality for the dollar. I've seen both the Klipsch and the Logitechs at Best Buy and can tell you that build quality is about the same, if not better on the part of the Z-560's. The satellites speakers, for example, have that "good quality" heavy feeling about them. They also employ rubber instead of on their drivers instead of relying on the less durable foam variety, which is a feature seen on higher end systems. The subwoofer also has a substantial feel to it. The only flimsy part of the setup is the SoundTouch Control Center, which uses plastic that could be found on party-favor toys. No bother, though.
Looks: Other speaker systems look a little bland (read: Cambridge SoundWorks), but not these. The Z-560s are a sharp looking bunch. Actually, the satellites look like cute little sentinel robots with tiny feet from an '80s sci-fi movie, but I digress. The subwoofer plainly looks dangerous even before you hear it.
Satellites: The satellites are a little on the large side when you compare them to their competitors, but they're definitely a manageable size. Their grilles are removable, and their stands can be loosened and flipped around for wall-mounting. The only problem is that it's only a 180-degree flip, and you can't "fine tune" the way you mount your speakers to the wall, if you so choose. The funny thing about these satellites is that they do not have true tweeters. Instead, the satellites utilize 3" drivers with a polished, bullet-shaped aluminum phase plug. The theory behind this setup is that sound coming off the cone will bounce off the plug and produce cleaner highs.
Subwoofer:
This subwoofer has got attitude written all over it. Inside is a single, front-firing 8" driver with a ported enclosure. The design of the port tube is actually kind of interesting: it's U-shaped so it can produce lower-resonant frequencies. The subwoofer also uses toroidal amplifiers, which are found on good quality systems as they create less unwanted noise. The problem with this sort of amp is that they're heavy and can get pretty hot. One look at the heat sync on this puppy tells you Logitech was aware of that.
SoundTouch Control Center: This is where you can fine-tune your sound. You can control volume, bass, and the M3D level. What is M3D, you ask? Short for "Matrix 3D", it's a feature that expands stereo sound into a "pseudo-surround" effect. Essentially, it takes two-channel sound cards and imitates four-channel cards. I used to have a two-channel card, and the M3D knob was basically just volume control for the rear speakers, nothing more. It could well have just said "FADER" on it. Now that I own the SoundBlaster Audigy Platinum, I only use the M3D feature sparingly, as it has different, less satisfying effects (read below). Oh, but really quickly, I have to mention the blue and green-lit rings around the volume and M3D knobs... very keeeewl!
Three complaints here, which are minor. First, I wish this control center had a "treble" knob. Second, the knobs are a little too sensitive at lower volumes. Third, a remote control would be extra nice.
OKAY, ENOUGH GIBBER-GABBER! HOW DO THEY SOUND?
Even if you factored out the price, these speakers truly sound awesome. With the price factored in, you are amazed that these speakers are selling for so cheap... because they sound better than the more expensive Klipsch 4.1 ProMedias... a friend of mine who owns the 4.1 ProMedias was baffled (and openly jealous) at how great the Z-560's sounded. He spent an extra $100 for his speakers.
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert audiophile, but I do grade sound based on a few things... Loudness, bass ability, and how these speakers perform in music/movie/game settings.
Loudness:
Whenever you get a new set of speakers, you usually want to crank them up, just to see how loud they can get. You know, to see if they can handle it. Well, it turns out that I was the one being tested, because when this system is turned up, it's downright ear-splitting! In fact, a 3DSoundsurge test of these speakers found that the Z-560's were "the loudest 4.1 system tested to date". Only when volume levels are over 90-95% do you start to hear some distortion or misrepresentation of sound. But by the time you reach 80%, you're already wincing in pain, so... why would you do that?
*A Special Word on Bass:*
GOOD LAWD! I had read countless reviews warning about room-shaking bass, and it turns out they were pleasantly right. The good thing is, you can situate the subwoofer to tailor your tastes for bass. Close to a corner, the bass shakes the walls and literally makes your shirt vibrate against your chest... on its lowest setting. I have my subwoofer three feet away from a corner and one foot away from the wall behind it, and the bass is strong, but not overpowering. Another friend of mine bought these speakers after one listening session. His subwoofer is nowhere near a corner, so his bass sounds a little weaker by comparison on its lowest setting (but he can still cause an earthquake if he dials the bass up). So, it really depends on your tastes.
Handling anything you throw at it with aplomb, the subwoofer defies you to make it distort. Of course, it will do so, but only if you turn it up to ridiculous levels. Other than that, your furniture will be distorted before the speaker does! It's truly an amazing experience.
In case you are fearing that this subwoofer only bumps base but lacks refinement, you'd be mistaken. The subwoofer does a pretty good job at distinguishing varying levels of bass. Of course, if you want to make the bass go BOOM-BOOM, you'll have that luxury too!
Performance in the MUSIC setting:
The satellites and subwoofer work in concert very, very well for many forms genres of music. From the get-go, I realized that the satellites tend towards brightness rather than mid-ranges, which surprised me considering their lack of a true tweeter. They sing sweetly like a piccolo or blare like an obnoxious techno synth - take your pick, and these satellites can handle it. Remove the speaker grilles from the satellites and the highs are even more pronounced.
Still, there's a a couple of caveats... First, with classical music. In my opinion, classical music is the best litmus test for analyzing the "naturalness" of sound. In this setting, the Z-560's are adequate, but sounds like the swelling of French horns or cellos are sometimes drowned out by blaring trumpets, shrieking opera divas, and high-playing strings. It's not that troublesome, though, and this system truly shines in other musical realms, such as techno, R&B, and rap.
My second issue deals with the M3D. It sometimes is neat because it localizes sounds (like a lead singer to one front speaker), but sometimes it has a dilutional effect on the bass and the rear speakers make a "watery" sound if you listen closely. I usually have the feature turned off.
Overall, music quality (despite my complaints) is outstanding. Again, I just wish the SoundTouch Control Center had a "treble" knob. This can be adjusted with a software equalizer, but even so...
Performance in the GAME setting:
The good thing with games is that the need for "pure" sound quality goes out the window. What you want from a sound system in a gaming setting is to feel like you're part of the game. Do the Z-560's do that? Let's just say you could almost get Post Traumatic Stress Disorder playing Unreal Tournament or Quake III using these speakers. Sounds are so real, so deep, so LOUD, and so profound that you literally feel like you're in the game! Ambient effects are eerily realistic in games like Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, especially with the M3D feature activated.
One game in particular that was so impressive it was scary was Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. It's an impressive game all on its own, but just unbelievable with the Z-560's. The speakers complimented that game so well I was practically fearing for my life as I engaged the enemy... the ricochets of enemy fire, the booming of grenades, and the chirping birds (background noise, of course) gave the game such a degree of realism that I could not stop playing. In fact, this game/speaker combo is almost a stand-alone reason to buy these speakers!
Performance in the MOVIE setting:
Let me describe this aspect in terms of watching the battle scene in Gladiator. Put simply, I was blown away. When you can feel the explosions and the deep rumble of thundering cavalry, you will suddenly forget you paid less than $140 for this sound system. The surround effects are just awesome, as you can actually hear arrows whizzing from all directions. I have no qualms about this sound system in the movie setting. Absolutely incredible. Ask my neighbors.
VERDICT: THX-CERTIFIED AND 400W OF POWER FOR $140?! SOLD!
I guess you can tell by now that I'm in love with my speakers. I've owned them for a couple of months now and they sound great, even after hours of playing my music LOUD. Plus, I have yet to find a single negative or even LUKEWARM review of these speakers. Don't believe me? You asked for it! Allow me to quote a great many experts in the field...
"Who would have thought that a company known for mice and joysticks would suddenly kick Klipsch right in the nuts, and offer a monster audio system for considerably less cash?" 5 out of 5 stars, Editor's Choice."
- Maximum3D (My personal favorite...)
"...one of those rare beasts that leaves you scratching your head asking again and again 'how do they sell this system for just $200?' Gold Stamp of Approval."
- 3D Soundsurge
"As if the word extreme was an actual sport, the Z560s would be on its way to becoming an Olympic champion in the field... there's just so much to appreciate about the Z560s, it?s almost overwhelming. 94% out of 100%."
- Firing Squad
"The 560s outrun the best of them for about 2/3 the price... I don't know how the competition will respond to the 560s, but they'd better do something. Recommended without reservation."
- IGN Gear
"Want great sound to go with the movies or games you play on your PC? Logitech's Z-560 system is an excellent choice."
- PC World
"For about $200.00, there is not one 4-speaker system out there that can compete with the Logitech Z560's in terms of quality or performance."
-Hardcore Hardware
"5 out of 5 stars. Editor's Choice."
- GamePen Hardware
"For the price, there are no other 4.1 speaker systems that can even get close to the Z560?s. 9 out of 10"
- Tweak 3D
"In our opinion, the Z-560s hit Klipsch square in the eyes on quality and more importantly, on price. With the quality and fidelity we've just heard, we aren't sure why anybody would opt for anything but the Z-560s."
- Hot Hardware
"If you're a gamer, audiophile or even just a movie enthusiast looking for a new set of speakers the Z560's should indefinably be taken into consideration. The price is right and the sound quality is awesome."
- Serial Addiction
"Logitech has a clear winner on their hands with this very consumer-oriented price-point speaker offering."
- Envy News
"The z560s have been the most impressive computer multimedia system I've EVER heard. Period."
- Gaming in 3D
(You can access an index of all of these reviews at http://www.neoseeker.com/Hardware/Products/Logitech_Z560/reviews.html)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
vara
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Member: Daniel Ramirez
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Reviews written: 121
Trusted by: 449 members
About Me:
You want a 15 word autobiography? Are you mad, sir?!
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